Amphibious Iguana 29 gets smaller sibling, the Iguana 24

As forecast when we broke the news of the caterpillar-driven Iguana 29 amphibious vehicle last year, Iguana has released details of a smaller Iguana 24.

The 24 is near identical to the 29 and uses the same retractable caterpillar tracks for surefooted drive across extreme terrain at up to 8 km/h (5 mph). In the water the Iguana 24 boasts a performance edge over its larger sibling and has 38 knot speed (70 km/h), 3 knots faster than the 29.

The Iguana 24 being slightly smaller, has slightly less carrying capacity with room for just eight passengers compared with the Iguana 29's ten passengers. Larger versions of the currently ten-seater amphibian are planned.

Amphibious vehicles are growing increasingly popular, and more than a dozen such manufacturers have sprung up in the last decade.

The best known in the amphibious marketplace are the Gibbs and Sealegs brands, which both began, not surprisingly, in New Zealand - a country renowned for its rugged seascapes, lakes and fjords, and the entrepreneurial and inventive spirit of its natives.

Gibbs makes a number of amphibious vehicles, including the Gibbs Humdinga.